Accidentally on Purpose

CBS officially canceled seven series today, the Live Feed is reporting.

Among the shows axed is the Sunday-night procedural 'Cold Case,' which slipped in the ratings in recent seasons but still drew relatively decent numbers in its 10PM timeslot. 'Cold Case' ends after seven seasons on the network.

Allison has given you a really in-depth look at all of the TV shows that are "on the bubble," the ones that haven't been renewed and might be canceled. A lot of TV Squad readers have given their opinions on what shows should be renewed for another year, but how about the shows that don't deserve to come back for the 2010-2011 season?

These shows pretty much fall into two categories: shows that have already been on a while and probably shouldn't see another season, and shows that haven't been around long but don't get the audience or darn it just aren't good enough to be renewed.

For the most part, CBS has had a very good year. New series like 'Undercover Boss' and 'NCIS: LA' lived up to expectations and emerged as hits, and even though it's fallen off a bit lately, 'The Good Wife' is also a success.

But as the May upfront approaches, when the network has to make difficult decisions about what new shows to order and which programs to axe, it's a good time to assess what might happen. Here's our look at what's Tiffany network shows are on the brink ... and how it might play out.

It's finally happening. Billie (Jenna Elfman) is going into labor on 'Accidentally on Purpose' (Wed., 8:30PM ET on CBS). But Billie is still having trouble with the whole pregnancy thing, and she desperately wishes that she could hear some music while giving birth. Zack (Jon Foster) responds by singing her a song. The song he chooses is... 'Push It' by Salt-N-Pepa. Interesting selection! Although it is kind of appropriate, considering what Billie is trying to do.

What's the best way to get out of a speeding ticket? On 'Accidentally on Purpose' (Wed., 8:30PM ET on CBS), the preferred method is to... fake labor pains during a pregnancy. Billie (Jenna Elfman) and Zack (Jon Foster) get pulled over by a cop after driving too fast, and then the very pregnant Billie spills her soda all over her lap. "Did your water just break?" the confused cop says to Billie. "...Yes," she says.

What to do when a sexy nurse suggests a threesome with you and your friend? Would you be prepared? How would you handle it? On the most recent episode of 'Accidentally on Purpose' (Wed., 8:30PM ET on CBS), guest star Olivia Munn appears as Nicole, a nurse hired to help out Billie (Jenna Elfman). But Munn has more than nursing on her mind. "So do you guys want to do a three-way?" she says to Davis and Ryan (Nicolas Wright and Pooch Hall). And now, Billie's two male friends have a difficult decision on their hands.

Although we're still awaiting crucial plot details on the popular CBS series 'How I Met Your Mother,' that hasn't stopped show creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas from thinking about their next move.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the duo has inked a large deal with 20th Century Fox TV to produce a new untitled comedy series, set to hit the marketplace sometime this week.

What will the show be about? Details are scarce; however, the report says the show will be in the same vain of 'How I Met Your Mother' as it follows a Pittsburgh-based couple and their friends.

"The new show is similar tonally to 'HIMYM' and investigates the next chapter, the next stage of adulthood," Bays said.

Good news for Patrick Warburton fans; disappointing news for Jenna Elfman fans. And if you have a deep affection for Jeremy Northam, this should make you happy, too. Confused? Don't be. I'm just laying out the essence of the CBS midseason juggle.

On Mondays, beginning February 1, Accidentally on Purpose will be shelved... but only for a few weeks. Taking the 8:30 Monday slot will be the return of Patrick Warburton, the best thing in Rules of Engagement.

That's not all. On March 31, the 8:30 slot in which Gary Unmarried airs, will be assumed by Accidentally. That's not because Gary's being canceled; it will have completed its season order by then.

I don't think I did one of these lists last year, and I have no idea why. The election all by itself would have generated a pretty fun best/worst list. Maybe we were all suffering from information overload, and were just exhausted. Not sure.

But 2009 had a lot of interesting TV, too, just not all in one category. As I've done in the past, I'll dispense with the usual "best show" and "worst show" lists and just make up categories:

GOODNESS

Best comeback from a shaky first season: Parks and Recreation. As I mentioned in my "return of the sitcom" story, Parks and Rec has made the biggest improvement from first season to second since... well, since The Office. It's no coincidence; Greg Daniels and Mike Schur's Office experience taught them that patience would be rewarded, both on the part of the writers and the viewers.

On the twelfth day of Festivus, TV gave to me ... twelve shows a'stinkin'!

Being the endless wasteland that it is, television has no shortage of bad product. Mind you, "bad" is always a matter of opinion. This year saw the end of According to Jim after eight years of decent ratings while in terms of quality it lasted about seven years too long. What follows is my own opinion and at the end of each item in the list, I will quote everybody's favorite critic, Jay Sherman.

12.Heroes– This show was great in the first season, then with only brief glimpses of greatness in the later seasons, the writers and the network proceeded to dump it in the trash, rub it around some sewage and finally make it have a one night stand with Andy Dick. IT STINKS!

So last night I sat down for some laughs with the CBS Monday night sitcom lineup. It's a weekly thing I do with my spouse, a chance to get away from the computer screen and just relax for a while. Normally, I relish this time because -- for the most part -- I love 75% of the shows from eight o'clock till CSI: Miami. (I usually empty the dishwasher during Accidentally on Purpose, sort of half-watching it because, as I've said before, it's just not working for me.)

Well, it seemed like last night's CBS comedies went off the rails. They strained to be funny, in all the wrong ways. Here are my thoughts, show by show -- including Accidentally (which I did watch):

The Jenna Elfman comedy, which centers around an accidental pregnancy, received the vote of confidence after a strong showing in the ratings on Monday, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times. The five episode are just shy of a full-nine, which would have made it a full-season pickup.

CBS Monday night comedies have been doing pretty well so far this season, as far as the ratings are concerned. The Big Bang Theory is challenging Two and a Half Men for top Nielsens for a sitcom; How I Met Your Mother is doing as well or better than last year, and the new kid on the block, Jenna Elfman in Accidentally on Purpose, has benefited by being smackdab in the middle of all that established comic success.